Dear Feastlings,
I used to wonder how other restaurants managed to shutter for a week, or two weeks, or even a month or more. Over twenty Tucson restaurants shut themselves down for a bit each summer, for varying lengths of time, and now that I own one, I wonder how we don’t do it.
Prevailing logic tells us that a business can’t survive without regular commerce, but the key word there is “regular.” Tucson, like scads of other cities, does the vast majority of its business in less than half its calendar year, so the way it works here is that one spends the winter, ant-and-grashopper style, socking it away for the slow season and hoping it covers costs. Technically, one makes money for five months, maybe six, and then one loses money for six months, maybe seven. But a sure way to lose money is to open your doors for the summer. It’s nearly guaranteed.
The good news for us is that a few other restaurants have taken cost-cutting measures and gone fishing, as it were. Kingfisher is closed, Vivace is closed, and Maynard’s and Coronet remain closed for most or all of the summer. That gives us a little boost, and if you were here last Saturday night, my apologies to you, as it was unseasonably busy due to all the other restaurants being shut, and to top it off, one of our key people in the kitchen was out sick, so thank you for your patience, and we hope to make it right the next time you’re in. It was good to be reminded I can still handle a few saute pans at once, though not like in my heyday.
How, then, do we scrape together enough business to warrant staying open all summer long? First, we create extra events that coax people out to dinner. We’ll open next Monday evening, for example, to offer up some Bastille Day goodness, so if you’re in the mood for French food and wine, it’s a good day to come in. We will most likely book up during the prime dining hours, though, so reservations are advised. Here’s the full scoop on Bastille Day:
Next, we continue our wine tastings in hopes that you’ll opt for air-conditioned comfort on Saturday afternoons, with sips of delicious wines to wet your whistle and whet your appetite. This Saturday, our pal Jennifer joins us with wines made by women:
We also remind you that we’re not only a restaurant and a caterer, but a wine shop as well, and that during the summer, we offer a deal you won’t find elsewhere in town that we know of: 10% any six bottles of wine or spirits, mix and match, and 15% off any twelve bottles:
So it’s the perfect time to stock your cellar- perhaps some whites and pinks for the heat of the summer, and a couple of reds squirreled away for the cooler months. Whatever the case, we look forward to seeing you, and we appreciate your kind support.
Thanks, everyone.
Your summertime cohort,
Doug